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Hard top decision

jespey

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Thanks guys... I've decided to get the hard top and add a fastback soft top by summer.
Good choice! Take a look at Bestop’s sunrider if you haven’t already. We like the convenience of accessing the rear cargo area that a hardtop gives for our daily driving. In 5 seconds we can get the open air feeling of a convertible.
 

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Good choice! Take a look at Bestop’s sunrider if you haven’t already. We like the convenience of accessing the rear cargo area that a hardtop gives for our daily driving. In 5 seconds we can get the open air feeling of a convertible.
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this

The Sunrider may give you all the open air feel you need, won't require removal of the (rear of the) hard top, can be opened and closed from within the vehicle, and is much cheaper than an entire soft top. Rear passengers though, particularly in the 4 door, don't look up and see sky when this top is open--just front seat passengers.

https://www.bestop.com/sunrider/

 

Nevermore

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I bought a 2020 JLU Sport last November. I ended up getting the premium soft top. So far it has handled this Michigan winter with flying colors. I can drop the entire top in <3 minutes. The only thing I could complain about is that you can forget about seeing out the rear window in the winter. Within 24 hours of washing the rear window become coated in winter road grime and has the visibility of frosted glass.
 

Columbus104

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Thanks guys... I've decided to get the hard top and add a fastback soft top by summer.
This seems like the smartest idea, as it gives you the most options. One final idea - when choosing between the black hard top and the body-colored one, I would recommend you order the black. Based on your desired usage, there's at least some chance you may later decide to sell the hard top and use the soft top yearround. Having a black hard top means you could sell it to any JL owner - body colored hard top limits buyers to just those who have the same color as you.

One final tip of advice. Order the premium version of the soft top. It's a lot quieter than the standard. Besttop makes the factor soft tops, so I'm sure you can select from the same options of soft tops directly from them aftermarket.
 

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The hardtop with the Bestop Sunrider gives best of both worlds, as mentioned earlier.
Security, ease of access , winter rear visibility. You can flip the front Sun Rider open without having to exit the Jeep. Plus, removeable, opening side windows for the hardtop are being developed as we speak...also easier and cheaper to go to soft top later, than to add hard top later..
 

rallydefault

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Yea, good choice getting both, honestly.

Soft top is technically "fine" for winter. I did it. But it's definitely not optimal, and I now change tops by season. Once you get the hard top in sub-freezing temps, snow and ice, you don't miss the soft top lol Not everyone can afford the extra 1-2 grand for that, though.
 

aldo98229

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My very first Wrangler was a soft top.

These were the major issues I had with it:
  1. The rear window becomes useless in the rain. Lack of a rear wiper means those water droplets stick to the curtain and block your view when you are backing up. You won’t see squat on a rainy night. Admittedly, today’s backup camera and sensors should help
  2. Lifting the rear curtain is a 2-hand process. Forget about placing the grocery bags in the back unless you go shopping with someone else
  3. Wind noise at freeway speeds made a conversation impossible. Admittedly, this has been addressed with the new premium soft tops
  4. Security - breaking into a soft top Jeep parked overnight on the street is the stuff of Monday schoolyard stories
These may or may not be critical issues if you are looking for a third household vehicle. But if a Wrangler were to remotely serve as a daily driver, I’d get a hardtop.
 

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...Besttop makes the factor soft tops, so I'm sure you can select from the same options of soft tops directly from them aftermarket.
Hey Kurtis:

I wish this was true. Maybe it is now, but the agreement between FCA and Bestop was that while Bestop makes the top for FCA, it is FCA product, spare parts from which are acquired through MOPAR.

Perhaps this has or will change.:)
 

JeeplakeFL

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Another benefit to hardtop is if you ever need to rent a trailer to tow, UHaul requires a hardtop on Wranglers - a non-negotiable policy. Every time I need one (at least 1x year), I have to put on the hard top.
 

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ZombieMojitoJL

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I got my jeep with a hardtop, then I bought a Rampage Safari Top but it didn't cover over the doors. I found a deal on a Mopar factory top with tinted windows for $1200 - so I grabbed it - now I have both though I live in South Florida I will be putting the hardtop on in the Summer as its too hot and humid let alone it rains almost everyday so it will extend the life of the soft top too!
 

cosmokenney

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I bought a hard top because I do a lot of backcountry stuff like fly fishing and ski and wanted to be have a more secure top if I have extra gear with me. A lot of times I'll have an extra rod or two or a different pair of skis for different conditions. I can't afford to loose a grand or so worth of equipment that I left in the open top.

But here's the things with a hard top that I don't like:
1. it's heavier than I thought it would be so getting it up off the jeep is a major pain by myself. I rigged up a cam buckle hoist in my garage, but it still takes me a while, because you have to move around the vehicle several times and pull it up only a few inches at a time. Since the top is radically heavy in the rear because of the glass, it wants to flip backwards if you pull it too high on the front straps.
2. if all you have is a hard top, when you take it off, you will eventually get stuck in the rain without any cover. Yea, I know, that's a jeep thing. But still, it kinda sucks.
3. if you don't suspend it from the ceiling, it takes up a LOT of room in the garage.
4. any minor little slip-up when you are removing the top will scratch the paint on the body or doors or...
5. there is a lot of play in the alignment pins so when you put it back on, you can bolt it down slightly crooked, then it will interact with the doors or tailgate making it hard to close them. Or making them rub paint off.
6. the dealer paint on the outside is soft and thin so everything scratches the top.

Needless to say I'm going to get a soft top soon. But they cost a lot! And I hate the fact that I will have to take off a bunch of hardware for the soft top when I want to put the hard top on in the winter.
 

NCIC105

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Working on a 2020 JLUR order right now. The vehicle will essentially be a third car in the family that our daughter drives. Mostly around town, finding some trails and maybe some trips to the MN North Shore.... not likely for longer family road trips or anything like that.

We intend to have the top off as much as possible, but still have the reality of a six month Minnesota winter.

What are the downsides of running soft top year round? In my experience, they're not super cold but definitely more noisy than the hard top. Anything else I should be thinking about?

We started the process looking for a $20k used Wrangler and here we sit at $40k plus for a Rubicon.... so, just trying to figure out where we may shave a little cost.

Thanks for the feedback!

'Soda
The premium soft top is not any louder than the hard top
 

Kluk Ztopolovky

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it's kind of like the never ending dilemma whether big or small is better
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